A flexible combination of the above solutions, based on assessed needs and preferences.

The different needs of affected households for safety, privacy, protection from the climate and maintaining their livelihoods should be addressed appropriate to the context and available resources.

Shelter solutions must also enable households to improve their homes over time as resources and opportunities permit. Sheltering goes beyond the immediate provision of basic shelter solutions and is closely associated with longer-term reconstruction as well as with assisting individuals, families and communities to re-establish themselves and enable a return of individual dignity.

Disasters provide an entry point to reduce future shelter risks and vulnerabilities, and build resilient communities. Disasters can also make resources and institutional support available to address underlying causes. For the IFRC, the provision of shelter assistance after a disaster is an opportunity to ensure that the shelter risks of affected households are reduced through programming and awareness-raising. This requires rethinking emergency response to include consideration of broader longer term shelter and settlement issues including housing land and property rights, adaptation to climate change and urbanisation.

Local and global capacities

The IFRC is one of the leading providers of relief assistance. At country level, many National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies are the primary emergency shelter agency for their governments, and have significant expertise and resources at national and community level. In addition, these National Societies have a leading role in informing policy and strategies in shelter preparedness and response.

At the global level, the IFRC is actively involved in leading global initiatives on risk reduction, climate change, urbanization and migration. This provides the opportunity to ensure that shelter and settlement issues are addressed thoroughly. Due to the unique status of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its commitment to a leadership role in shelter, the IFRC can use its participation in key global platforms to promote the issue of humanitarian shelter, and its links to long term development.

Partnerships and collaboration

As a membership organisation comprising 186 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the IFRC uses the considerable shelter experience, capacities and the resources of its members to support and implement its shelter-related activities. The IFRC is uniquely placed to collaborate with leading humanitarian agencies including the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, relevant research institutes and academic institutions. Links have also been established with the private sector, to collaborate on technical innovation in shelter and the provision of skilled personnel to support shelter and construction activities.